Hideo Kojima revolutionized the stealth video game genre in 1987 with the release of the original Metal Gear, published by Konami. Under Kojima's leadership, the Metal Gear franchise exploded in popularity, and it gained fame as a complex, quirky and endlessly innovative series. However, recent reports suggest that Kojima and Konami will sever ties after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in September. A new series of Phantom Pain box-art images add fuel to this claim: Konami's initial mock-ups included a credit to Kojima, but new official images show the words "A Hideo Kojima Game" have been removed from the top of the box. Plus, the logo for Kojima's studio, Kojima Productions (a subsidiary of Konami), is no longer on the front of the box.

In Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, a human bomb sank the dreams and private military corporation of Big Boss, the central figure in Konami's stealth franchise. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain continues where we saw the Boss last: hospitalized and disfigured by the bomb blast. The soldier has lost an arm in the chaos and his body has been invaded by over 100 foreign bodies -- a mixture of human teeth and shrapnel -- but the incident seems to have damaged something far more critical: his psyche.Slideshow-295657

The creator behind the Metal Gear Solid game series, Hideo Kojima, may not be sticking around Konami for much longer... depending on who you ask. GameSpot sources claim that there has been a "fallout" between Kojima's studio and Konami that will have both the famed developer and his senior staff leaving after their contracts end in December, or a few months after Metal Gear Solid V ships. Supposedly, there have been "power struggles" that led to Konami reducing Kojima Productions staff to contractors, limiting their corporate contact options and giving them fewer chances to promote MGSV.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the latest in Hideo Kojima's nearly 30-year-old series of melodramatic espionage games, finally has a release date. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of will arrive on September 1st for $60, and on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for $50. PC players have to wait just a bit longer to experience the next generation of hiding from armed soldiers in cardboard boxes. Metal Gear Solid V will be available on Windows via Steam for $60 on September 15th.

Despite Japan's rich gaming culture, the new consoles that've taken pride of place in your living room are still considered next-gen in the Land of the Rising Sun. While Microsoft still hasn't offered a firm date for the Xbox One's arrival, Sony's PlayStation 4 makes its Japanese debut this coming weekend. Now, as reparations for the three-month delay, Sony and the snake-charmers (read: game devs) at Kojima Productions have partnered on the first limited edition PS4 console that'll launch exclusively in Japan on March 20th. This "Fox Edition" PS4 has been crafted to celebrate the launch of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, a copy of which'll be bundled with the console for 46,980 yen (around $462) -- the regular console will retail for 41,979 yen (around $413) sans game, since you asked. Unfortunately, this first limited run PS4 is less impressive re-skinning effort, and more, well, boring emblem.

Microsoft's just kicked off their E3 press conference by giving the spotlight to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Major Nelson announced it's coming to the Xbox One as an exclusive. This freshest installment of the tactical-stealth shooter promises an open world, realistic passage of time, drivable vehicles, "deeper stealth action" and dynamic close quarters combat. There's not much in the way of other details just yet, but we're sure more news will creep out during the course of E3.

Update: Microsoft's Major Nelson has issued an update via Twitter letting us know that Metal Gear Solid V is not an Xbox One exclusive. We're betting Sony is feeling better. Yeesh!

Update: Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima just confirmed on Twitter that The Phantom Pain is in development for the PlayStation 4, and that Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are still on the way.

Kojima Productions head Hideo Kojima this morning announced that The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes combined is actually Metal Gear Solid V, the first next-gen game from Kojima Productions running on its powerful FOX Engine. The news was revealed today during a FOX Engine panel at the Game Developers Conference. Kojima announced the combination of the previously announced concepts in a dramatic fashion, with his head wrapped in bandages, presumably as his alter ego Joakim Mogren. They provided a sneak peek trailer at the game's opening sequence, where Snake is attempting to escape from a hospital -- the trailer previously teased in late 2012. As FOX Engine is a next-gen platform, we're assuming that the game is heading to next-gen consoles, but Kojima's not saying anything solid just yet.

Update: GamesHQMedia managed to snag a trailer of the game, which we've embedded below.

Update 2: We initially thought that The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes were combined into one game, but Siliconera has learned that they are actually two separate titles. Ground Zeroes is essentially a prologue to The Phantom Pain, and will be available on both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

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Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:15:00 -040021|20520536http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/12/sony-walkman-w252-gets-a-limited-edition-mgs-makeover/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/12/sony-walkman-w252-gets-a-limited-edition-mgs-makeover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/12/sony-walkman-w252-gets-a-limited-edition-mgs-makeover/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is coming out for the PSP soon, and in classic Sony style, we're being treated to a custom-painted W252 Walkman to celebrate the event. This wearable MP3 player can fit 2GB of your favorite stealth action theme music, and gets the party started with six preloaded tunes from the Peace Walker soundtrack. Beyond that, you're getting that gorgeous camo outfit and the same water-resistant durability as the less Limited W250 models. Full PR and one more pic after the break.

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Wed, 12 May 2010 12:43:00 -040021|19474125http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/21/metal-gear-arcade-mixes-3d-glasses-with-head-tracking-for-this-s/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Despite a few harrying run-ins with some large white tents at Manhattan's Fashion Week-hosting Bryant Park, we can honestly say we have no idea what's "in" this year for arcade gaming headgear. Still, even with Konami's lack of zebra print or a sly celebrity endorsement, we've got to hand it to them for this fashionable new "Metal Gear Arcade" number. The arcade game is based on Metal Gear Online, but the head gear adds 3D and head-tracking to the experience. There's also a physical gun controller, and the sit down arcade cabinets pump out your gunplay in huge 5.1 sound. This new arcade incarnation of the game will be playable at the AUO Expo in Japan this week, but we have no idea how long it will be until we can look this badass from the comfort of our own couch. Hit up the source link for a riveting video in Japanese that details this exclusive, outside-the-house experience.

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Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:10:00 -050021|19366854http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/07/killzone-2-metal-gear-solid-4-ps3-bundle-hitting-best-buy-now/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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As Sony shoves one more PlayStation 3 bundle down our throats while we anxiously await the appearance of a slimmed-down version of the console, we have to admit that the game choices here are really top shelf. After catching wind of the Killzone 2 / Metal Gear Sold 4 PS3 bundle yesterday, we now have all the confirmation we need to believe that such a bundle is indeed filtering out to Best Buy stores. The image above shows an internal memo sent out to alert employees that the new package could start arriving as early as July 6th, with the official announcement coming in the July 12th ad. If you're actually in the market for a non-discounted, thick PS3, we'd say a phone call or two is in order, no?

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Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:26:00 -040021|19088774http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/07/custom-metal-gear-solid-4-ps3-back-on-ebay/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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A few moment's hesitation prevent you from placing the winning bid on that sweet, customized Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 a few weeks back? It's okay, we've all been there -- sitting at the screen, cursor hovering over the "Bid Now" button, wracked with indecision, finally saying "Why not?" just as the timer hits 0. Usually that's cause for a lifetime of bitter regret, but this time you're in luck. The winning bid of $17,000 turned out to be bogus, so the creators have placed the machine on eBay again, ready for you to ponder anew. Now, before you make some snide remarks about $17k being way too much for a tarted up PS3, take a look at the attention to detail here, and remember that 15 percent of the proceeds are going straight to the Child's Play charity -- a factor that should hopefully reduce the vehemence of those remarks by roughly a fifth.

Konami and Sony's limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 may have been enough to satisfy a few fans of the game willing to pay a premium for their console of choice but, for sheer excess, it has nothing on this custom-made system built by the folks at Morpheon Mods, which is now up for auction on eBay. Among the many details adorning this shiny creation is a laser-cut, stainless steel MGS4 marquee, a laser-etched image of Solid Snake, a carbon fiber Fox Hound logo on the rear, and 14 white micro LEDs to light everything up just right. They even got Hideo Kojima himself to autograph the console and, perhaps best of all, they wrapped everything around a fully backwards compatible 60GB PS3. Just don't expect any of that to come cheap, as bidding is already topping the $1,500 mark with six days left, though you do also get pretty impressive collection of Metal Gear swag with it, and 15 of the proceeds will go to help the Child's Play charity.

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Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:38:00 -040021|1348830http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/12/metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-now-shipping-to-ears-everyw/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsThis is it, soldiers. The day you've been anticipating has finally arrived. Okay, so maybe that's a build up not deserved by the lowly retail version of the Metal Gear Solid 4 Bluetooth headset, but seriously, we've been waiting ages for this thing to ship. Like, so long that the whole MGS4 aura has already come and gone. Those still firmly planted in Snake's posse can choose to prove their fanhood by snagging this thing now for $59.99; if all goes well, it should be headed your way in a matter of business days. Over and out.

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Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:11:00 -040021|1339745http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/20/limited-edition-metal-gear-solid-4-watch-surfaces/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/20/limited-edition-metal-gear-solid-4-watch-surfaces/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/20/limited-edition-metal-gear-solid-4-watch-surfaces/%3Futm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%23commentsNeed some way to express your adoration for Solid Snake when not inside the house? Then check out this limited edition piece, would you? The Metal Gear Solid 4 watch will reportedly arrive individually numbered from 1 to 500 alongside a "Konami certificate of authenticity approved by Hideo Kojima." You'll also get a nifty gift box to hold the water resistant timepiece in when it's not flanking your wrist, but only if you manage to score one before the legions of other hardcore fans do. Oddly enough, there's some sort of "pre-order" going on in the read link below, but we wouldn't count on that being the most reliable method for procuring the £99.99 ($197) device when it's released in October.

We've already seen some of the product placement to be found in the soon-to-be-released Metal Gear Solid 4, and it looks like PlayStation 3 users are in store for a bit of reinforcement about their console buying decision as well. As you can see for yourself in the video after the break, at one point during the game, Metal Gear Solid's Otacon takes a not-so-subtle dig at the Xbox 360's non-HD disc format by asking you to swap disc 1 for disc 2, only to suddenly realize that you're using a Blu-ray disc, and a dual-layer one at that, which then prompts him to go on about "what an age we live in." At least there's no HD DVD reference to further rub it in, though we wouldn't doubt that there's one of those lurking somewhere in the game as well.

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Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:47:00 -040021|1221271http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/15/pelican-metal-gear-solid-4-bluetooth-headset-gets-photographed/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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See there, we told you it was authentic. The hotly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4 BT headset is indeed more than a figment of your imagination, and IGN's UK branch has the photographs to prove it. Granted, the actual unit you see above is a pre-production sample, but nothing about it is slated to change before finalized products ship en masse. No, you won't magically become as phenomenal as Snake should you wrap this around your lobe, but you can get a decent idea if it's your bag by peeking the high-resolution shots in the read link below.

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Thu, 15 May 2008 09:26:00 -040021|1196250http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/24/sony-teases-us-with-hot-super-limited-edition-mgs4-wireless-head/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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If Metal Gear Solid 4 truly is the last game in the series (please please no), it's going to have gotten quite a send-off: a limited-edition gunmetal PS3 in Japan, a new $499 PS3 bundle in the rest of the world, the North American launch of the DualShock 3, and, uh, some wireless headphones. Well, not just any wireless headphones: a limited-edition run of Sony's hot 7.1-channel MDR-DS7000s, with different artwork on each can. Sadly, it doesn't look like these are going to be all that easy to get -- only 30 will be randomly handed out to those buying MGS4 bundles from the Japanese Konami store from now until June 1. Better get clicking, Sparky.

On June 12th, 2008 there'll be no place to hide from the release of the gunmetal MGS4 PS3. Well no place except every single country other than japan where the ¥51,800 (about $520) limited edition console will exclusively launch. That wad of Yen nabs the limited edition 40GB console with a Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots software bundle and like-colored DualShock 3 controller. How you like that, Ol' Snake?

Konami held a 20th anniversary party for Metal Gear Solid franchise this week and Sony Ericsson brought the hardware to help usher in the third decade. KDDI's W53s will ship with the new game "Metal Gear Solid mobile," an all new version specifically for mobiles -- and we'll admit, it looks pretty sweet. To add some kitsch to the whole affair, style-up covers will be available to theme-up your handset if you happen to be a big fan of the series. So, if you're reading this from anywhere not served by KDDI, sit back and enjoy the pic, cause you'll never be seeing this handset.

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Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:10:00 -040021|952723http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/05/sony-and-konami-releasing-mgs-edition-psp/%3Futm_medium%3Dfeed%26utm_source%3DFeed_Classic%26utm_campaign%3DEngadget%26ncid%3Drss_semi
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Sony's just going hog-wild with these fancy new PSP editions. This time we have the "camo" version that was spotted at the TGS, complete with Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, a "Skin of a Warrior" faux snake-skin case, three pins and a nifty certificate. The handheld should be hitting Japan on December 22nd, and Play-Asia is already offering pre-orders for a fairly hefty $449 USD -- but we suppose they've gotta make a living somehow. There's also a cheapo option that skimps on the snake-skin and certificate, but reduces the price a whole hundie. No indication yet of when the madness might stop.